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The Value of Hype

In just 2 short days I am going to be seeing what may be the most hyped movie of all time- Star Wars: The Force Awakens. To say I am excited would be an understatement. I can’t wait!!

I’m sure many of you have heard people saying ‘it can’t match the hype’ and others will say after it was ‘overhyped’. I honestly have a hard time understanding this reaction and so I thought I would put in a plug for hype and why it can actually be a good thing.

First of all, I should point out that somehow I was born without sensitivity to over-exposure. I could eat the same thing, listen to the same music, watch the same movies over and over again and never grow sick of them. It’s just the way my brain works. If I like it on viewing 1, I like it (sometimes more so) on viewing 30. I have books I reread every year and enjoy them just as much as the first time.

I honestly can’t think of anything that I liked and then hype ruined for me. It just doesn’t make sense to me.

There are a few times when something has been over-sold to me. Like the first time I saw Monty Python and the Holy Grail I had heard it quoted a million times so I was a little disappointed. Then I saw it again without the expectations and loved it! The Godfather would be another example that once I just watched it as a movie and not anticipating a masterpiece I liked it much better. When I came home from my mission people way over-sold M Night Shyamalan’s movie Signs, which I think many see the flaws in now but back then I was sold quite the bill of goods.

There are also certainly times when I disagree with the hype- like last years Birdman, a movie who’s popularity baffles me to this day. It had some good things about it but I had big issues as well. That said, I am happy that other people found something that inspires them. I want everyone to enjoy the cinema.

So all that said how can hype be a good thing?

I think it is actually pretty simple.

Watch the news and what do you see?- war, destruction, natural disasters, crime, racial profiling and prejudice, abuse etc. There is so much to be downtrodden and sad about. Then look at people watching the Star Wars trailer or a little girl belting out Frozen songs. The smiles on their faces say it all. People hype things up because they love them. You build up enough of that love, amongst enough people, and it becomes hype. I’m not sure where the line goes to over-hype but I just don’t see how a bunch of happy people is a bad thing?

The other day I was having a discussion with a friend about the whole bronies movement. This person was very critical of this particular fandom and while I think it is unusual if it is making them happy who cares? If they find connections and enjoy something weird together what’s the harm in that?

As I said there is so much to be discouraged about these days that even if I don’t share in the fandom (say Twilight or Batman) I love seeing the joy the participants have. It feels good to be a part of something bigger than yourself in life. I love when that can happen going all the way back to being a little girl belting out Little Mermaid for literally years. Some happy moments of my life were probably groan inducing for the ‘over-hype naysayers’.

Such fandom and hype also can connect you to other human beings in a way maybe every day life might not (especially with social media). For example, this year I went to a Survivor event in New York City and got to know tons of nice people. All over a silly TV show! It was a joyous happy time and that’s what I am anticipating on Thursday- just having fun with my friends and being happy together watching Star Wars!

So I hope people will just enjoy that other people are happy and excited about something in their lives. If you aren’t into Star Wars than just smile and think about your own passions and what excites you. Please don’t be a grumbler and poo-poo people’s good times. If someone asks your opinion than say it or if you have a blog/channel post it but let people be happy and enjoy whatever it is they are pumped about. Positive energy folks! If Star Wars should teach us anything it’s that a positive force is a good thing!

What fandoms are you a part of? What have you felt great hype for in your life (It’s fun when it happens right?)? What has let you down that you were hyped up for?

Another great post – we definitely do need to encourage positivity in the world we live in.

Harry Potter is probably the fandom that’s made me most hyped. For example, I ordered Deathly Hallows online and on the day of release, I was a nervous wreck waiting for it to arrive. When it finally did, I shut myself away in my room and read the whole thing that day. And yes, the whole series has brought me great joy. Doctor Who is my second favourite fandom: I get very excited about each new series.

The biggest letdown I got from big hype was Spider-Man 3. I was very excited about that film, especially because Venom was going to be in it. When going home after watching it, I was suffering terrible denial (“Yeah, it was okay, I guess – I mean, not great…”), not wanting to discuss its many problems in detail until later. I was quite hyped up about The Dark Knight and The Avengers too, but while those films didn’t quite reach my impossible expectations, I was still happy with them.

I actually used to be part of the brony community myself, though I’ve since lost interest to some degree. It did feel awkward at first, particularly explaining to other people, but eventually I just enjoyed everything that came with the community and had a lot of fun with it.

I’m so glad you liked my post. I really enjoyed the Harry Potter fandom; although, I sometimes get a little annoyed how nitpicky the book fans are about the movies, which I really enjoyed. It’s a great series and I also remember shutting myself up and reading the final book all day like you did. What a great ending!
I still need to get into Dr Who. There are so many seasons which would you recommend?
I agree on Spiderman 3. That was very disappointing especially after 2 was so great. I was really letdown by the ending of How I Met Your Mother. That was 9 years of following a show and to have it end badly was super deflating. As far as movies Indiana Jones 4 was very disappointing.

I think that word community is the key. It feels good to bond with other people about anything even media.

I used to be quite nitpicky about the films myself, but I’ve grown more accepting with time.

Which Doctor Who seasons to recommend? That’s a tricky one. First off, Doctor Who is divided into two different eras: the ‘classic’ series, which ran from 1963 till 1989, and the ‘revived’ series which began in 2005. It’s a bit more difficult to just pick out episodes of the more recent series as there is some continuity, especially after Steven Moffat took over as showrunner in Series 5. Also note that the actor playing the Doctor changes (the character can change his appearance):

Series 1: Christopher Eccleston
Series 2-4: David Tennant
Series 5-7: Matt Smith
Series 8-9: Peter Capaldi

Watching the first two episodes of the first series – Rose and The End Of The World – will give you an idea of how the show’s dynamic works. You could also check out the two-parter ‘The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances’ from that series as it’s one of the best stories.